Adjustable clamping strap for milling and like machines



March 13. 1928. 1,662,173

B. R. SCHNEIDER ADJUSTABLE CLAMPING STRAP FOR MILLING AND LIKE MACHINES Filed April 21. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR f BY @M ATTORNEY March 13, 1928. 1,662,173

B. R. SCHNEIDER ADJUSTABLE CLAMPING STRAP FOR MILLING AND LIKE MACHINES Filed April 21; 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I i.

,iA/w, A; ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 13, 1928.

BERNARD R. SCHNEIDER, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

ADJUSTABLE CLAMPING STRAP FOR MILLING AND LIKE MACHINES.

Application filed April 21, 1926. Serial No. 103,595..

This invention relates to adjustable clamping straps for milling and like machines.

Pursuant to a preferred form of my in vention, my clamping strap is constructed to adjustably position the work for milling, planing, boring, turning, slotting, shaping or other operations by asuitable 1nachmeshop machine or the like, and comprises a base arrangedto be non-tiltable and having a. recess for receiving an upright member provided with screw-thrcadiug or set of notches, respectively disposed at graduated locations longitudinally of the upright member, a clamping strap, a keeper preferably of a wedge form and provided with partial screw threading or other graduated set of projections and'recesses coacting with the graduated set of notches of the upright member for affording ready positioning and releasing of the work relative to the base and to the operation performing machine, said clamping strap being provided with a smooth or other non-threaded opening to adjustably receive said wedge member and the threaded portion of said upright member.

Pursuant to my invention, the clamping strap and its clamping bolt are positioned to a nicety to thereby afford the clamping to any degree of a casting or other work rela tive to the table or other supporting of the operation performing machine, such adjustment being effected speedily and most readily for setting-up and releasing the work.

, Further features and objects of the invention will be more fully understood from the following detail description and the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away in cross-section, of one form of my invention I Fig. 2 is a detail view in perspective showing the form of wedge keeper illus trated in Fig. 1, but on a somewhat enlarged scale; I Fig. 3 is a top plan view of Fig. 1; Fig. 1 is a side elevation of another form of my invention, partly broken away in sec tion;

Fig. 5 is a detail view in perspective of the wedge keeper shown in Fig.- 1, on a somewhat enlarged scale; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation, partly broken away in section, of a further modification of my invention.

' Referring to Figs. 1, 2and 3", my adjustable clamping strap comprises a base member 10 arranged to be variably positioned on a; suitable support such as the regulation T-slotted table orthe like of a milling machine, planer, shaper or the like, for which purpose its bottom face llis flat to render it non-tiltable and preferably planed to ac curacy at right angle's to the axis of. the vertically extending recess 12-. To locate the base member 10 on theregulation table, indicated at 13, I provide the extension 14 1 having a suitable opening for receiving a clamping bolt 15, the head 15* of which is slidably received in a T-slot ofthe table 13, and its'nu't 15 tightened at thedesired location. The graduated upright member 16 in this instance is providedwith screw threading '17 preferably of helical type and of suitable lead and pitch. The bottom portion 18 of said upright member 16 isin this instance smooth and of a diameter to make a nice fit with the circular face of the verticallyv extending recess 12 of the base member 10. The upper end portion 19 of the upright member 16 may be provided with a, set of openings 20 for receiving a pin or the like for the purpose of rotating the upright member 16 for secur ing the desired relation of its screw-threading 17 relative to the wedge keeper and clamping strap as is explained more fully hereinafter. v

The clamping strap, see Figsyl and 3, comprises the body portion 21 having an under face 22 for engagement directly or indirectly with the work. strap is provided with an opening 23 through which the upright member 16 is The clamping received. The face of the opening 23 may i be substantially smooth or approximately smooth or not, but of a cross-sectional area for readily receiving any screw-threaded portion of the upright member 16 and is further provided with the tapered, vertically extending slot'2tcorresponding in taperto the wedge formation of the wedge member 25, which wedge member is provided on its effective face 26, see Fig. 2, with a set of spaced projections 27 and resulting corresponding recesses conforming generally to the formation of the threading 17, wherebyupon positioning the wedge member 25 within such slot 2 1 of the strap 21, the wedge member 25 and the strap 21 are automatically located in position at the desired height relative to the upright member 17 and accordinglyrelatively to the table 13 or other support. to thereby clamp the work as may be desired.

The wedge member may be provided with a chain 28 having its one end 29 connected in a recess in the wedge member 25 and its other end suitably secured to the clamping strap 21 as by means of the recess lug 30.

The clamping strap 21 is provided with the slot 31 for receiving a. bolt 32 for clampin; the strap 21 in the desired position.

In Fig. 1, I have indicated the work 33 such as a casting on which the milling or other operation is to be performed. By means of my adjustable clamp, hereinabove described, the strap member $21 is located in proper horizontal position by approximately positioning its opening 23 along the threading 17 of the upright member 16, with the wedge member 25 out of position. The wedge member 25 is then placed in locking position by inserting it in the tapered slot 24 of the clamping member 21 and the final desired adjusted position of the clamping member .21 is attained by placing the pin or other tool in one of the openings 20 and rotating the upright member 16 to the desired final position, whereafter the bolt having its head 32 passed in a T-slot of the table 13 and its body portion passed through the slot 31 of the clamping;- member 2 and its upper threaded end locked by its nut 34, whereupon the work is clamped in the desired position for carrying out the desired milling or other operation.

The clamping member .21 preferably a drop forging for strength and cheapness of cost, and is usually re-inforced by a flange 35 extending about its slot 31.

It will be understood that clamping members 21 of various lengths and other dimensions and similarly provided with an opening 23 and slot 31 may be employed with a single clamping set-up embodying my invention.

In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the upright member 16 is provided with a set of teeth -10 disposed vertically at one side of the upright member 16. The wedge member 41 is correspondingly provided with a set of teeth 42 and intermediate spaces corresponding to the teeth and their intermediate spaces. Otherwise. the arrangement shown in Fig. t corresponds generally to that shown in Figs. 1 and 3 and like parts are designated by like reference numbers.

It willbe observed from Figs. 53 and 5 in particular, that- I prefer to slope downwardly the teeth or other form of projections of my wedge-shaped member, and correspondingly slope the teeth or other form of projections of the upright with which such 1.ee2,17s

teeth or other projections of the wedgeshaped member coact, thus alt'ording what. is aptly termed -ratcheting? relationship between such wedge-shaped member and the upright, and enabling my invention to be employed with the use of a minimum clearance between the upright and the horizontally extending clamping strap or equivalent, which is locked in position after the wedge-shaped member has been ratcheted into locking position.

In the modification shown in Fig. (3. the vertical adjustment of the upright member 16 by its wedge member ll i:- attained in coaction with the base member d3 which in this instance is provided with an elongated hollow body portion, the inner face of its vertical extending, opening 4-1.- beingr cylindrical and of a diameter to make a nice lit with the cylindrical portion of the upright member 16, the remainder of the inner face of the opening it being in the form of a slot, the upper end portion -15 is tapered to receive and lock therein the wedge member all and the lower portion .46 of which slot is of a reduced dimension but; sullieient to clear the teeth at) of the upright member to. The upper end of the upright member '10 is loosely received within the socket-member -17 having a protective upper head it; of enlarged diameter to ail'ord sutlicient support for the clamping bar 15) extendin; from the upper 'lace of the head. 48 to the worlt 33 when the bolt 32 is passed through the slot 50 of the clamping bar 49.

In the use of my invention as illustrated in Fig. (3. the upright member 16 is elevated manually relative to the base member iii to an approximate position but lower than the final adjusted position to thereby dispose the clamping strap li) in a cor1'c:-'pon(ling! approximate position and the wedg member ll is then placed in il': slot 15. The final position of the upright member in i.-; attained by grasping the upright member to in one hand to lift it further to its tinal position while the wedge member 11 slightly lifted and moved a way from the upright member 16 by the other hand until the final position of the upright member has been attained and the wedge member ll is then left freed in the slot -15 to assume under gravity its final and locking)? position relative to the upright member 16.

From the above. it. appears that my invention provides. broadly stated. the combination of a member provided with a tapered opening, a wedge member provided with a set of projections and of a taper corresponding generally to the taper of the tapered opening, an upright member provided with a set of projections corresponding to the set of projections of the wedge member and a strap member adjustably supported by the upright member; or, stated more specifically, for a clamping strap or equivalent having a smooth or other wholly or partially non-threaded opening and including a tapered slot, combined with a wedge member provided with partial threading or other set of spaced projections and an upright member having threading or other set of projections coact-ing with the threading or projections of the wedge member to afi'ord ready assembly of the above parts in the preliminary setting up of the work and ready accurate adjustment of the setting up by regulation of the upright member.

\Vhereas, I have described my invention by reference to specific forms thereof, it will be understood that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In an adjustable set-up device, the combination of an upright having abody portion provided with a vertically aligned set of laterally extending projections,a horizontally extending member provided at one end thereof with an opening at one side including a tapered slot for receiving said body portion of said upright, the side of said opening opposite said one side being substantially smooth, means for exerting pressure downwardly on said horizontally extending member, and a wedge-shaped member arranged to be positioned within said tapered slot to hold said horizontally extending member against downward displacement, said wedge-shaped member having a substantially smooth face for engagement with said substantially smooth side of the opening and further havinga face provided with laterally extending projections coacting with said vertically aligned setof laterally extending projections of said upright. i

2. In an adjustable set-up device, the combination of an upright having a body por- ,tion provided with a vertically aligned set of laterally extending projections, a horizontally extending substantially integral member provided at one end thereof with an opening at one side including a'tapered slot for receiving said body portion of said upright, the side of said opening opposite said one side being substantially smooth, means for exerting pressure downwardly on said horizontally extending member, and a wedgeshaped member arranged. to be positioned within said tapered slot to hold said horizontally extending member against downward displacement, said wedge-shaped memher having a. substantially smooth face for engagement with said substantially smooth side of the opening and further having a face provided with downwardly sloped laterally extending projections co-acting with said vertically aligned set of laterally extending projections of said upright.

3. In an adjustable set-up device, the combination of an upright having a body portion provided with a vertically aligned set of laterally extending projections, a hollow member for freely receiving a lower portion of said upright, a horizontally extending member provided at one end thereof with an opening at one side including a tapered slot for receiving said body portion of said upright, the side-of said opening oppositesaid one side being substantially smooth, means for exerting pressure downwardly on said I tion provided with avertieally aligned set of laterally extending projections, a horizontally extending substantially integral member, means for exerting downward pressure on said horizontally extending member, a hollow member for freely supporting a lower portion of said upright, one of said members being provided with an opening having at one side thereof a tapered slot, the opposite side of said opening being substan tially smooth, and a wedge-shaped member arranged to be positioned within said tapered slot to hold said horizontally extending member against downward displacement, said wedge-shaped member having a substantially "smooth face for engagement with said substantially smooth side of the opening and further having a faceprovided with laterally extending projections co-acting with said vertically aligned set of laterally extending projections of said upright.

In'testimony whereof I have signed this specification this 20th day of March, 1926.

BERNARD R. SCHNEIDER.- 

